Indian Music Experience Museum

Legends of Indian Music and their Memorabilia

Legends of Indian Music and their Memorabilia

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Every genre of Indian music has been enriched by legendary artistes who have added a new dimension to their art, leaving an indelible mark for generations to come. The IME Museum has in its collection many instruments and objects that have been owned and played by legendary musicians - a selection of these is displayed here.

Bismillah KhanIndian Music Experience Museum

Bismillah Khan - Shehnai - Raag Shyam Kalyan
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Bismillah Khan

Bismillah Khan (1916-2006) was a legendary Hindustani classical musician who played the shehnai.

Hailing from Benares, he took the shehnai to prestigious concert platforms in India and around the world, and collaborated extensively with other musicians.

Bismillah Khan's ShehnaiIndian Music Experience Museum

Bismillah Khan's Shehnai

The shehnai is a wind instrument of North India made of wood, with a double reed at one end for blowing, and a flared bell at the other.

Originally a folk instrument that was used in processional music during weddings and funerals, it was given a special place on the Hindustani classical concert platform, in large part due to the efforts of Bismillah Khan.

Courtesy: Zamin Hussain (Son of Bismillah Khan)

Reeds

The reeds are moistened and air is blown through them to produce sound. The sound is manipulated by placing the fingers on the holes in the wooden body, which is the resonator.

Bell

A flared metallic bell at the end also aids the amplification of the sound.

Bismillah Khan's Shehnai in 360º view by Indian Music Experience MuseumIndian Music Experience Museum

Bismillah Khan's Shehnai

Bismillah Khan fondly referred to his shehnai as his ‘begum’ (wife).

He had the distinction of playing the national anthem from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the day of India’s independence (August 15th, 1947) and was awarded India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna in 2001.

Bismillah Khan's Cap by Indian Music Experience MuseumIndian Music Experience Museum

Bismillah Khan's Cap

A trademark part of his attire, the white cap is deeply associated with Bismillah Khan.

Although he was a practicing Muslim, his life and music is also a symbol of India’s syncretic musical traditions. Bismillah Khan would practice for hours together in the precincts of the Kashi Vishwanath temple in his hometown of Benares, a holy place for Hindus, where his forefathers were temple musicians.

Courtesy: Zamin Hussain (son of Bismillah Khan)

Ravi ShankarIndian Music Experience Museum

Ravi Shankar - Sitar - Raag Behag
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Ravi Shankar

Sitar maestro Ravi Shankar (1920–2012) was one of India’s greatest musicians. A pioneering ambassador of Indian classical music, he achieved critical and popular acclaim both in India and abroad.

Ravi Shankar performed innumerable concerts around the world, including memorable performances at two of the most important music festivals of the 1960s - Woodstock and Monterey Pop.

Ravi Shankar was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999.

Ravi Shankar's Sitar by Indian Music Experience MuseumIndian Music Experience Museum

Ravi Shankar's Sitar

The sitar is a long-necked string instrument (tat vadya or chordophone), which is played by plucking its strings. While the 13th century poet and musician Amir Khusro is frequently credited with having invented the sitar, the instrument rose to prominence in the Delhi court of the early 18th century.

The sitar shares features with older Indian instruments as well as similar instruments of Persian origin. The Ravi Shankar-style sitar usually has two thumba-s (chamber resonators), 6 main and 13 sympathetic strings, and rich ornamentation.

Courtesy: The Ravi Shankar Foundation

Ravi Shankar's modified Sitar by Indian Music Experience MuseumIndian Music Experience Museum

Ravi Shankar's Modified Sitar

Towards the end of his life, Ravi Shankar played a sitar, whose build was modified to suit his frail frame. It had only one thumba and was smaller in size.

This sitar was played by the maestro at his last concert in India, at Bengaluru in 2012.

Ravi Shankar's SitarIndian Music Experience Museum

Thumba (Resonator)

While a sitar typically has a dome-shaped resonator, this modified sitar had a flatter resonator to reduce its size, and a stand attached for support.

Tuning Pegs

The sitar has tuning pegs, each corresponding to a string. The tuning pegs of the sitar serve to increase and decrease the pitch of each string by varying the tension.

This sitar features stainless steel tuning pegs in place of the usual wooden ones.

Ravi Shankar's TanpuraIndian Music Experience Museum

Ravi Shankar's Tanpura

The tanpura is a long-necked stringed instrument, used in both Hindustani and Karnatik classical music, whose strings are generally tuned to the tonic note (aadhara shadja) and its fifth (pancham). The strumming of the tanpura provides the drone and the aesthetic canvas upon which music is performed by the vocalist or instrument player.

The tanpura helps to set much of the meditative mood that is characteristic of Indian classical music. While more portable electronic and digital variants of the tanpura have been in vogue for a few decades now, Ravi Shankar always had the acoustic version accompany him in concerts.

Courtesy: The Ravi Shankar Foundation

Ravi Shankar's Surbahar by Indian Music Experience MuseumIndian Music Experience Museum

Ravi Shankar's Surbahar

The surbahar is a long-necked plucked stringed instrument, closely related to the sitar. It is usually larger than a sitar and has a lower tone, and is sometimes referred to as a bass sitar.

Ravi Shankar initially played the surbahar before changing over to the sitar, which was more amenable to up tempo renditions. He however retained some of the surbahar aesthetic, reveling in the lower octaves while exploring the raga.

Courtesy: The Ravi Shankar Foundation

Costume of Ravi Shankar by Indian Music Experience MuseumIndian Music Experience Museum

Ravi Shankar Concert Attire

Kurta pyjama with waistcoat and angavastram (a white piece of cloth or stole draped over the shoulder).

Courtesy: The Ravi Shankar Foundation

M.S. SubbulakshmiIndian Music Experience Museum

M S Subbulakshmi- Maithreem Bhajata
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M S Subbulakshmi

M S Subbulakshmi (1916-2004) was perhaps the best known Karnatik (South Indian) classical vocalist.

Born in Madurai in Tamil Nadu, she rose to greatness as a musician whose impeccable vocal technique and emotive qualities, gave her both immense critical and popular acclaim. She was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour in 2000.

M.S. Subbulakshmi's TamburaIndian Music Experience Museum

M S Subbulakshmi's Tambura

The tambura (or tanpura) is a stringed instrument used in both Hindustani (north Indian) and Karnatik (south Indian) classical music. It comprises a resonator and a long neck, along which run four (sometimes five or even six) strings, which are usually tuned to the tonic note (sa) and its fifth (pa).

M S Subbulakshmi was known for her note-perfect singing (sruti shuddham), and the tambura is a symbol of the fidelity of her voice to the pitch (sruti).

Courtesy: V Shrinivasan (Grandson of M S Subbulakshmi)

Tuning pegs

There are usually four tuning pegs (one for each string), whose tightening and loosening causes the sruti (pitch) of the string to increase or decrease.

Thumba

The dome-shaped resonator at one end of the tambura is made of dried gourd or wood. It is referred to as thumba, kudam or burude in various Indian languages.

M.S. Subbulakshmi's Thanjavur Tambura by Indian Music Experience MuseumIndian Music Experience Museum

M S Subbulakshmi's Tambura

The playing of the tanpura provides the drone and sets the ambience upon which the music is played or sung.

Displayed at Indian Music Experience Museum is a Thanjavur-style tambura belonging to M S Subbulakshmi.

M.S. Subbulakshmi's Saree by Indian Music Experience MuseumIndian Music Experience Museum

M S Subbulakshmi's Saree

In addition to her music, MS Subbulakshmi was also a fashion icon of her time. She mostly wore south Indian Kanjeevaram silk (pattu) sarees, with intricate gold borders. In fact, a particular shade of blue that she preferred was given the moniker ‘MS Blue’.

On display at the Indian Music Experience Museum is another of her sarees, a traditional red saree, with a checked pattern and a yellow border with gold zari (threadwork).

To this day, the South Indian Kanjeevaram saree remains a symbol of tradition and timeless values, both of which are hallmarks of Karnatik music.

Courtesy: V Shrinivasan (Grandson of M S Subbulakshmi)

Mahatma Gandhi's letter to M.S. Subbulakshmi (1944-09-28)Indian Music Experience Museum

Letter from Mahatma Gandhi to M S Subbulakshmi

The letter lauds M S Subbulakshmi for her 'good work in connection with the Kasturba Memorial Fund' by using her musical gifts. It is signed in Tamil.

Courtesy: V Shrinivasan (Grandson of M S Subbulakshmi)

Bhimsen JoshiIndian Music Experience Museum

Bhimsen Joshi- Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma
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Bhimsen Joshi

Bhimsen Joshi (1922-2011) was one of the greatest vocalists of the Hindustani classical tradition. Belonging to the Kirana gharana, and a disciple of Sawai Gandharv, his music was characterized by robust and powerful singing, expansive creativity, as well as emotional intensity. Most present-day vocalists have been influenced to varying degrees by his music.

Bhimsen Joshi received the Bharat Ratna in 2009.

Bhimsen Joshi's Waistcoat and Shawl by Indian Music Experience MuseumIndian Music Experience Museum

Bhimsen Joshi's Concert Attire

Bhimsen Joshi was a simple dresser, usually seen in simple cotton or silk kurta (long shirt) and cotton pyjama. On some formal occasions, he would wear an additional waistcoat on his kurta. As he grew older, he would drape a shawl over his shoulders, and received innumerable shawls by way of honours from concert presenters and admirers.

Courtesy: Laxmi Joshi (Daughter-in-law of Bhimsen Joshi)

Bhimsen Joshi's Paan BoxIndian Music Experience Museum

Bhimsen Joshi's Paan Box

His two other great passions were fast cars and paan (betel) leaves. Bhimsen Joshi enjoyed preparing and chewing his specially sourced paan leaves, even before and during his performances.

He was often seen with this silver-plated paan box, which carried the leaves and its accompanying condiments.

Courtesy: Laxmi Joshi (Daughter-in-law of Bhimsen Joshi)

Zakir Hussain (2020-08-15)Indian Music Experience Museum

Zakir Hussain - Tabla Solo
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Zakir Hussain

Zakir Hussain (b.1951) is a percussion maestro of India, and a master of the tabla. Son and disciple of the legendary Alla Rakha, Hussain has been part of pathbreaking world music collaborations such as Shakti, Maestros of Percussion and Global Drum Project with Mickey Hart.

A GRAMMY Award winner, he is the recipient of the Padma Bhushan from the Government of India.

Zakir Hussain's TablaIndian Music Experience Museum

Zakir Hussain's Tabla

The tabla is a percussion instrument, comprising a pair of drums, and is the principal percussion instrument of Hindustani classical music. It is used in a wide variety of musical genres, from devotional and folk music, to more contemporary expressions as well. The two drums of the tabla are of slightly different shapes and sizes.

This tabla set was presented to the Indian Music Experience Museum after Zakir Hussain’s concert at the grand launch of the museum in July 2019.

Courtesy: Zakir Hussain

Dayan(tabla)

The right drum (dayan) is smaller in size, and produces higher frequencies.

Bayan (Duggi)

The left drum (bayan) has a larger circumference and is shaped like a kettledrum.

Zakir Hussain's Tabla 360º view (2019-06-29) by Indian Music Experience MuseumIndian Music Experience Museum

Zakir Hussain's Tabla

The origins of the tabla are shrouded in mystery. The instrument could have emerged from any of the various twin drums of local origin, or those that came to India with conquering armies.

The tabla surfaced around the 15th century in response to the need for a softer and more agile rhythmic accompaniment than the older pakhawaj.

C AshwathIndian Music Experience Museum

C Ashwath - Kaanada Kadalige
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C Ashwath

C Ashwath (1939-2009) was a legendary singer-composer of Karnataka, and was instrumental in the establishment of a genre of poetry-based music, called Sugama Sangeetha (literally, “light music”). He brought in strong folk influences of the region, and his vocals were both robust and emotionally intense.

C Ashwath's HarmoniumIndian Music Experience Museum

C Ashwath's Harmonium

The harmonium is a reed instrument, which is operated by pumping air across the metal reeds by hand- or leg-operated bellows. It was brought to India during the mid-19th century by European missionaries.

Indian manufacturers like Dwarkin and Sons began producing an indigenized version by 1875.

Courtesy: The family of C Ashwath

Keys of the Harmonium

The discrete keys of the harmonium are at odds with the microtonal nature of Indian classical music. Skilled harmonium players overcome this paradox by playing at a speed fast enough to make the notes seem continuous and flowing.

C Ashwath's HarmoniumIndian Music Experience Museum

Bellows

To facilitate playing while seated on the ground, the Indian harmonium has bellows at the back that can be operated with the left hand instead of foot pedals.

Bellows aid in pumping air into the harmonium. These can be opened to the top or to the side, however, side-opening bellows require lesser force to be exerted while pumping compared to the top opened ones.

C Ashwath's Harmonium in 360º view by Indian Music Experience MuseumIndian Music Experience Museum

C Ashwath's Harmonium

This harmonium was used for composing music and as an accompanying instrument in performance by Ashwath, who was seldom seen without this instrument by his side.

Credits: Story

The Indian Music Experience Museum is extremely grateful to the artistes and their families for placing these invaluable pieces of India's musical heritage in the museum's care.

Memorabilia Courtesy:
Zamin Hussain (Son of Bismillah Khan)
The Ravi Shankar Foundation
V.Shrinivasan (Grandson of M S Subbulakshmi)
Laxmi Joshi (Daughter-in-law of Bhimsen Joshi)
Zakir Hussain
The family of C.Ashwath

See more at the Indian Music Experience Museum's website

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.